Bose Companion 5 multimedia speaker system Graphite/Silver
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Our premium computer speakers deliver multichannel sound that seems to surround you, specifically designed for computer listening. Just right for music, games and moviesand setup is a snap. The Companion(R) 5 multimedia speaker system is engineered to deliver the excitement of surround sound content right at your computerwithout the clutter of five speakers. Just two small speakers and a hideaway Acoustimass(R) module deliver much of the audio performance you’d expect from a five-speaker surround sound system. And a single USB connection is all it takesno special software, hardware or sound card upgrade necessary.*
The system features a handy, all-in-one control pod to keep speaker volume control, single-touch mute, headphone jack and an auxiliary input all within easy reach. Speakers are mounted on stands enabling superb performance and more usable desktop space.
*For optimum performance, we recommend Windows XP or later. For Macintosh computers, OS X 10.4.6 or later.
Features
- TrueSpace surround digital processing circuitry delivers multi-channel, immersive sound
- Simple USB connectivityno sound card upgrade, extra software, adaptors or wiring needed
- Two small speakers and compact module deliver sound you might expect from a five-speaker system.
- Handy control pod houses volume control, single-touch mute, headphone jack and auxiliary connection.
- Acoustimass module produces deep low frequencies and can be hidden almost anywhere in the room.
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 20 x 16 x 12 inches
- Weight: 27 pounds
I Would Not Recommend These Speakers
This was my first purchase of a set of Bose speakers and I had high expectations of how good they would be. Unfortunately they have never met any of my expectations and I doubt I would buy any Bose speaker again.
From non standard speaker connections, to their weird habit of just muting themselves, they just do not work well.
As I had them connected to PC and MP3 player I would expect that they would have been designed for that usage, but clearly not. I have now gone back to my old Sony 5.1 system I bought them to replace, and for much less money, it just does everything so much better.
My Bose Companion 5 speakers also quickly developed a humm and Bose support was less than useful.
Save money and buy another brand. These Bose speakers are not worth the money and will only frustrate you.
A correction to my rating
This is a correction to my rating for the product that was purchased from this vendor. I wanted to affirm that I was completely satisfied with my order, and want to make sure that it was understood that I submitted it incorrectly, I had meant to give a rating of 5 star. I did not realize until later that a mistake was made, and I wanted to make sure that the vendor gets proper credit for their excellent service.
Thank you
Scott
Outstanding sound and easy setup
The sound from the Companion 5 is very good. Outstanding in my opinion. And setup is so easy its hard to believe. Plug the speakers into their coded inputs, plug in the ac, plug the usb into the computer. Windows 7 automatically loaded the drivers in a matter of seconds and selected the Bose as the default speakers. Nothing to do but start playing music. The control cluster is really cool also. One touch to mute and a nice tactile feel to the volume dial. These are expensive for computer speakers but computers aren’t just computers any more. This system is worth every penny. Highly recommended.
Not very good for just Music
I’ve had the Bose Companion 3 system for 3 yrs and overall, it’s pretty good. When it stopped working, I thought I’d try the Companion 5, vs repair of my Series 1 Companion 3 system. My primary needs are for music – I’m not a gamer, and don’t watch many movies on my PC, but I constantly listen to music.
In short the Companion 5 just over processes the sound in an attempt to emulate 5.1 in a 2 channel system. It’s cool if the source material (like games) benefits, but for a lot of music, it’s horrible. The vocals sound like they’re in the bottom of a barrel, or deep in a cave, and guitars dance around behind your head – not “on stage”.
Bass is muddy compared to my Companion 3’s, and only sounds good if the bass unit is pointed right at you behind the screen. Until the system is “broken in” with 50 hrs of playing, it sounds horrible — absolutely no warmth. After break-in, you can tweak the equalizer to provide some OK midrange, but overall, still lacks warmth that good speakers provide.
You can’t “turn off” the over-processed circuitry, and you can’t control the bass level w/o climbing over your screen and reaching the back of the bass module. (same problem with Companion 3) The little volume / mute control is very handy though, and makes it easy to hook up your MP3 player.
The Companion 5’s add a lot of artificial color to the sound, and for mostly music listening, it is not that great. If you’re using it for special effects (games and movies) you might like it, except that the bass lacks punch – it just muds through the sound. I returned it to the store and got my Companion 3’s fixed. Now I’m looking for a set of good bookshelf speakers that will add more warmth to the music, and I’ll give the Companion 3’s to my son.
Almost returned this piece of junk
Just bought the Bose Companion 5, and this is what happened:
First, the setup is as easy as Bose wants you to believe. It took mere minutes, and my i7 Windows 7 Dell Studio XPS had this thing configured very quickly and painlessly. One thing to remember is that you have to get into the sound setup in the Control Panel to ensure that the Bose is the default system, it does not happen automatically. The cords provided are long enough to allow for slack and easy hook-up.
Second, I gotta say that the aesthetics are fantastic. This system takes up less room and looks great. The bass module, however, needs some real estate underneath the desk (not in terms of height or width, but in length, it is 17″ long). The graphite and silver finish is also pleasing in terms of looks and contrast.
Third, the integrated volume/input pod is great, easy to use, and unobtrusive. It allows for easy connection of another source (2 channel), headphones, and when it is tapped on the top automatically goes into mute mode, another tap and it goes live again.
Finally, let me tell you about the sound…..it SUCKED! I couldn’t believe it, after spending a premium amount of money and getting a system that sounded tinny and muddy, so tinny that it hurt my ears to listen.
I read the manual, look online, and was almost ready to pack them up. I then tried 1 final thing, I turned the volume control on my computer down to 50%, and then double-checked the bass knob and turned that doen to 50%. Both were originally maxed out.
It solved the problem. They sounded like they did in the store. Fantastic treble and tight bass, with a good overlap of midrange from the satellites.
Now I show these off to my friends and family and they are blown away. But this was an accidental discovery. MAKE SURE THE SOURCE IS AROUND 50%, YOUR ITUNES (or other program) VOLUME IS NOT MAXED OUT, AND YOUR BASS MODULE KNOB IS AT 50%.
Finally, your music WILL FREEZE UP if you don’t have a pretty recent machine. I lucked out with my i7 processor-based machine, but you’re taking a gamble if your machine is older than 2 years old, in my opinion.
Anyway, hope this helps!
love it
The sound quality is amazing. The “surround sound” (it’s not true surround) works really well. I actually looked around once because I thought the sound was coming from behind me. The subwoofer is so powerful and provides nice deep low sounds. I did have a little bit of a problem hooking up the sound through USB, but I just fixed that by using the audio jack and the control pod. Great product! Don’t buy other systems if you truly love your sound and don’t want to end up hating yourself for not buying better.
Good But WAY overpriced
I am a very picky person when it comes to things like this. I agonized over which computer speaker system to buy and spent way to much time in retail stores listening to everything I could.
The Bose Companion 5 sounds very good, and looks nice, but there were a few other systems that I can honestly say sounded just as good, and perhaps better for about half the price. And other systems that sounded about 80 percent as good for much less than half the price. Don’t be hosed by Bose. Don’t think you are getting what you pay for. While Bose wants you to think their stuff is worth the premium, I just can’t justify it. You can do just as good for a lot less money.
Bose Companion 5 multimedia speaker system review
The sound is excellent, even on a Youtube video. I tried it out with a DVD watching part of Lethal Weapon with an action scene, sounded like a home theatre system since it plays Dolby 5.1 – great product – would recommend to anyone looking for a great computer speaker for any application
How can you not rate these a 5!
Sound is amazing. The control pad is very handy. Just turn for volume and touch the top for mute. Nice to have headphone and inpot right there as well.
They bring your computer to life, but don’t expect these to sound amazing in a large room. I believe they are designed specifically for fairly close listening.
I hesitated at the price, but this is proof you get what you pay for.
Good Speakers but not good enought to replace Cambridge SoundWorks
I got myself “BOSE Companion 5″ 5 days ago in an attempt to improve sound in my TV room. My TV room is longer than it is wider therefore all previous setups with floor standing speakers and surround channels did not work due to the sound bouncing all over the place. I just needed something smaller to improve our TV experience.
BOSS was a logical choice after I have heard my father’s Companion 3 performance in his computer setup. The thing is – I already own “Cambridge SoundWorks FPS 2000 Digital” (CSW) 4 speaker surround set I got 9 years ago as a present from my wife “girlfriend back then” It has been performing admirably in my computer room on a 2nd floor to this day.
Back to BOSE: I got my speakers and paired them with IBM T60 laptop hooked up to my TV and Dish encoder/decoder. Ofter playing various audio files/CDs and listening to sound coming from TV and DVDs I was puzzled with luck of “OMG!!!I am blown away by this!!! OMG!!” factor. Something was wrong here. The speakers sounded OK but just OK. I have tweaked various Win 7 settings on my laptop in an attempt to achieve the breakthrough in performance to no avail. I even compared the same CDs and MP3 by listening to them through my CSW rig on the 2nd floor. And again I could not reach conclusive decision since side by side comparison could not be made. Finally I had enough and brought BOSS Companion 5 set to the 2nd floor to meet my workstation and “Cambridge SoundWorks FPS 2000 Digital”+ Soundblaster Live. BOSS speaker set was hooked up to my desktop under a minute and had a first go with Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here” in the CD drive. I turned the lights off and listened to the music. I’ve caught myself nodding – the performance was good.
Then I switched to the CSW setup and played the same song again and my jaw dropped. The sound was SOOO MUCH BETTER – full of character, warmth and soul. Exactly the qualities another reviewer [P. Lau] described in his post as “`warmth’, `soundstage’, `smoothness’,`less fatigue’.” These qualities were missing from Bose Companion 5 reproduction of the sound. This could be due to the fact that it is a new system which does not have a lot of “burn in” time yet or it could be something else. Nonetheless, the difference is profound enough for me to send it back for a refund. I guess I must give Bose another shot some other time. Once again they did not sound bad, no no, they sounded OK but just not better than Cambridge SoundWorks FPS 2000 I already own. I might have kept them if they weren’t caring BOSE name and were under $99 or I did not have a chance to compare them to my existing system.
Once again I do like Bose brand and will not bash them needlessly. Make up your own mind since this review is based on my personal biased experience. My father seems to like them better than my CSW setup – go figure!
Don’t know why I waited so long
I resisted getting computer speakers for a long time, but finally when a new monitor had barely audible sound, I broke down and bought these. Wow, so much more and better than I was expecting. My husband is a complete analog geek and will only listen to CD and vinyl, but he said he would actually consider listening to iTunes now because of how good this sounds. I think I had had $99 computer speakers once that went into a box during a move and I never bothered unpacking them, so I was expecting only a slight upgrade from those. I also had the old Bose Acoustimass system for a stereo once and was never much impressed with it, I think it’s in the basement storage now. For these, in the same room, they are comparable with our stereo system and slightly less so from another room. I’m going to get a pair of these for my new office and also am seriously considering an upgrade in headphones as well. I’m a believer.
Fantastic sound, but at a cost.
Until a few years ago, I used nothing but the cheapest speakers and headphones I could fine. Bargain-bin all the way until I picked up a pair of high-end Sennheiser headphones and I finally “heard the difference” – since then I’ve gotten picky and have only wanted the best. After upgrading to a surround-sound system for my TV, I wanted a similar experience for my computer and after a bit of research, the Companion 5 was the way to go. These speakers are the equivalent of my Sennheiser headphones – I can hear stuff in music that I’ve never heard before (it’s actually kind of strange!). It really takes sound to the ‘next level’ compared to the other speakers I’ve tried. I tried the Logitech systems, I even tried the other Bose Companion models, but they just couldn’t compare.
To me, this system has 3 downsides – all of them are pretty big and take a hit on the score (hence the 4 stars instead of 5).
The first downside is the price – it’s definitely better than the other systems I’ve seen, but it’s also twice the price. With that said, trying the Companion 3 next to this (which sells for half the price), I was still happier to put down the extra cash for the Companion 5 series. It’s still a very expensive system though.
The 2nd downside is the proprietary setup – rather than using a normal audio plug, this system connects to your pc via USB port and requires drivers. This isn’t always the easiest thing to do, and you have to rely on the drivers always being available/compatible with your system. It gives more chances for error to occur.
The final downside are the other audio connections. Fortunately you CAN plug other devices into the audio volume knob. Unfortunately, it only takes a 3.5mm headphone plug. This would have been fantastic if it had accepted optical audio or even composite audio (to plug a game console into, for example). I had to purchase a Composite-to-3.5mm Y-adapter to plug a console into it, and besides being a hassle, it lessens the quality.
The volume knob is very nice – it has a headphone jack, 3.5mm input, and mute/unmute button in addition to changing the volume by turning it left or right.
The sound quality is amazing from this – I’ve never been a BOSE fan, but this thing is incredible. One last downside from it, is that it will show any flaws in low-quality audio you may have. Low-quality MP3s? You’ll hear the difference. Youtube videos? you’ll hear the difference. But when you pop in a DVD, Blu Ray or listen to a high quality MP3, the system really shines!
by far the best computer speakers i’ve ever used
i’ve used pretty much every computer speaker system out their from $20 up to $500, and these Bose Companion 5’s are by far the best i’ve ever used. i was nervous when i spent $400 plus tax on these puppies, but after 3 years, i’m more than satisfied. not one problem with these speakers. and they make my 300GB music collection sound great. you simply can’t go wrong with these speakers. if anyone tells you that their music sounds muddy, etc, its their music, not the speakers. these speakers are worth every penny i paid for them, and then some.
Best 3 speaker computer speaker system – if u have the $$
I am a long time computer user (30+ years) with an expert knowledge of computers and computer technology. I constantly use my PC to listen to music and often to play computer games, I don’t use my computer to watch movies because I have a ridiculous home theater and large HDTV setup for that.
With that in mind, here is my review:
My criteria ranked from most to least important:
1. Superb sound quality for games and music
2. 3 speakers or less (5 speakers is too much clutter for me
3. Sound must be loud enough without losing any clarity to fill my 11′x14′ home office
4. Surround sound capability not required but a plus
5. Excellent style / appearance (if I have to look at the 2 speakers on my desk every day I don’t want them to be ugly)
Now with that in mind I did months of research and arrived at three products that I thought could best meet all or most of those requirements.
Bose Companion 5
Klipsch Promedia 2.1
Logitech Z2300
I can tell you that after hearing demos in the store and actually seeing each speaker system’s appearance in person, I took an immediate liking to the Bose Companion 5 system. However, since the Logitech and Klipsch systems were only $150 compared to the Bose at $400 (I got my Bose Companion 5s for $350 on sale, but in my comparions I use the normal $400 price), I felt compelled to continue the comparison despite my gut telling me the Bose Companion 5’s would be the final selection, much to my wallet’s dismay. So I bought all three and set them up in my office and did head to head comparisons with my favorite games and music. So on to the showdown….
All systems met the criteria for having 3 speakers or less so I will skip that one….
Sound quality:
This one was no contest. All three systems had excellent volume and easily filled my office with sound and all could have filled a larger room with sound with little difficulty. However, the Bose Companion 5 system was so much clearer through the entire volume range it was really no contest. The clarity of musical instruments and sounds in computer games was notably better with the Bose. The Klipsch and Logitech offerings had too much base (even after adjusting the bass levels), and the mids and highs were muddy, loud but muddy.
Winner: Bose Companion 5 – Hands Down
Sound Loudness:
All of the tested systems were loud and easily filled my office with sound. Only the Bose maintained clear, accurate sound throughout.
Winner: Bose Companion 5 – Hands Down
Surround Sound Capability:
Only the Bose offered this. So Bose wins by default. Keep in mind that this is simulated surround sound, so results vary depending on the source of the sound and/or the context of the sound, but I found the Bose surround sound generally performed very well for creating surround sound to the right and left sides and ok for creating rear surrond sound. For true rear surround sound nothing can replace a real 5.1 system, but I can say that I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job than Bose at creating surround sound with 3 speakers.
Winner: Bose Companion 5 – No Contest
Style / Appearance:
While all of my comments are subjective and based on my specific tests and requirements, this one by definition is entirely subjective. However, again in this category the Bose were the clear winner. I did like the appearance of the Logitech Z2300’s as well, Bose really makes style and appearance a focus and it shows in how nice their speakers look.
Winner: Bose Companion 5
So the Bose Companion 5 speakers were the clear winner on all my tests, but they should be they are $250 more than the other two competitors. In fact, they are more expensive then just about any 2.1 speaker system available and more expensive than many 5.1 speaker systems. So let’s address that steep price tag. Certainly some of the substantial difference in price is paying for the Bose name. I think we can all agree on that, so I won’t waste any more time discussing that. However, one often overlooked benefit of the Bose Companion 5 speaker system is that it eliminates the need for a sound card. Now if you’re like me and you generally go for near top of the line SB cards that run about $200, then the $250 dollar premium for the Bose Companion 5s looks like less of an issue. The Logitech Z2300 and Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speaker systems require you to purchase a sound card. Now, if you already have a high end sound card, then this really makes no difference, but if you’re buying or building a system and purchase the Bose Companion 5s, you can save between $150 and $200 by not buying a soundcard.
I highly recommend the Bose, especially if you want surround sound with 3 speakers or if you have the opportunity to avoid a soundcard purchase. However, if sound clarity is less important than loud, room filling sound and you already have a good sound card, the Logitech Z2300 or Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speaker systems would certainly be a good a fit and save you $250 vs. the Bose Companion 5s.
Wow!
I am a music enthusiast. I like everything from classical & Jazz to Heavy Metal. I just hooked up these speakers and I am fully amazed by the sound. They really couldn’t sound any better! I’m playing some jazz right now and I’m blown away!
Buy them,period, I own 2 set’s
I have owned several systems over the past 30 years, Many well over $10.000. I now like to keep it simple. An Apple Mac Book Pro, Netflix, and the Bose Companion 5’s. They are like Angel’s singing in your home, buy them, be happy. Extremely well made.Bose Companion 5 multimedia speaker system Graphite/Silver
On the fence…
A bit about myself: I’m a big music-head. 23 Black and Native American; I listen to EVERYTHIING. Everything ranges from Jazz, Hip hop, Country, Classical, Reggae, Electronic, Techno, to movie scores, Latin, Rock, and Ambient stuff. I listen to music to help inspire me as a motion-graphics and 3D artist. I even create music myself if what I’m listening to doesn’t fit my mood. (or for my projects)
Perhaps about a year ago, I wasn’t really big on my audio equipment at all. I played my fair share of games and listened to my fair share of music on my stock, $10 computer monitors without complaint. It wasn’t until my cheap speakers and cheap headphones began to short out did I have to reconsider. A friend of mine enticed me to go to a local Bose store where they have a built in theater display to showcase their acoustimass surround sound system, where, admittedly, I was blown away immediately. I mean, these speakers made sweet relentless love to my ears, I can’t even lie. I was left in a dazed stupor, that wouldn’t be fixed until I got my hands on some Bose speakers. Long story short, I had purchased a set of Companion 2s about a week later with a gift card that knocked off about $35. I was happy. I loved them. My ears knew no better. A little later, I started to hit the limits of what they can do; they can’t complement all genres of music I enjoy, so I decided to go back on the market. I was debating getting the companion 3s until I saw an ad on craig’s list for someone selling some Companion 5s for the price of the companion 3s. Didn’t see that one coming. Needless to say, I jumped on that without second thought. I got home, hooked them up, and “heard all my music for the first time,” as they say. These things are one of a kind. The satellites are small and gorgeous, the subwoofer blasts my wall away, all my friends are envious of my puck volume control :p. These Bose speakers are amazing in every way possible.
BUT!!!!!!!!!!
Months later, my Bose high went down; things started to kick in and make sense. I went onto Amazon out of curiosity to see all the “wonderful” things people would have to say about the Companion 5s, and was astonished at some of the comments. “the highs are too sharp” “the satellites are too tinny” “I’m not an audiophile, but these things aren’t that great.” From there, a couple things donned on me. I had never paid retail for any of my sets of Bose speakers. I had a friend who purchased a set of Companion 3s and had buyer’s remorse. Soon after, I put my feet in the shoes of those who may be paying full price for these things. Oddly enough, I understand the “expectations” of wanting these things to sound better, especially after dropping $350-400 on the Companion 5s. That was further reinforced as I heard a comparison of the Logitech z-4s against a set of companion 3s. Surprising enough to me, the Z-4s had a much fuller sound in the mid-tones–it just sounded much more balanced altogether. The companion 3s had sounded like nothing but highs and lows. I went “huh. how ’bout that.” Then I saw the price tag of the Logitech and was blown away. $70? Really? In my opinion were very comparable to the companion 3s for being less than a third of the price. Now I go home and can’t help but to hear the “tinny” sound everyone is talking about in my Companion 5s. Bose speakers do indeed seem to have some very loud highs and a weak, shallow mid-tone. Don’t get me wrong, they still sound amazing, but I’m not sure if they sound $400 amazing. $275? Sure. I’m contemplating either checking out the Razer Makos, or the Logitech z-2300s for a second computer I will be purchasing in the near future, and may do a comparison review soon.
All in all though (tl;dr) These speakers do indeed sound incredible, but honestly, I don’t think there nowhere near worth $400, especially with some of its competitors coming in at almost half the price.
If by some stroke of luck you can find these at a reasonable price though, GO FOR IT.
I’d give these speakers a 4 1/2 out of 5, but I’m factoring in the price, which drops it down to 3 1/2, but since I can’t give it 3 1/2, I’ll have to settle for a 3.
Only the best sound system out there
I up graded from a companion 3 to the companion 5 and to me it is equal to the bose 321 home theater system which i own i am a huge fan bose is the best none can match.
Clear sound from small speakers fill the room with theater sound like you will never experience.
Yes they are expensive but worth it these are speakers that you will own for years to come.
And remember NASA only uses Bose for the sound system on the space shuttle.
Don’t Listen to Naysayers!!
I actually bought this system direct from Bose …. and I was not disappointed. Turn off any kind of sound enhancement etc settings on your computer before listening to this system. The sound is AWESOME. And YES just as good as in the Bose store. Music does not sound tinny! Maybe other reviewers aren’t properly setting this system up, or did not turn off the computers sound settings/enhancements. The sounds is amazing for music AND movies. worth the $$$ I got it for $359. enjoy
))
A Rare Truth in Advertizing — Big Audio, Small Footprint
I’ve needed a PC speaker upgrade for years and recently purchased the Bose Companion 5 speaker system at the Bose Outlet store in Palm Springs. It was a factory refurb at $320 versus the typical $400 price.
Strengths:
* Sound quality — terrific! Additional details below
* Control ‘pod’ — elegant and efficient — a pleasure to use!
* Volume control ring (on control pod) — silent and silky smooth
* Appearance — elegant desktop speakers (small footprint too)
Challenges:
* Price — $400 ($320 refub) is serious scratch for PC speakers
* Control ‘pod’: I echo another reviewer — loose the wire, Bose!
* Volume control — w/b great to have an on-screen volume indicator
* Woofer — surprisingly big cabinet (but easily set out of your way)
In my opinion for most folks no show-stoppers here except possibly price.
Sound quality: Chrystal clear, great range and consistently good quality even at impressive volumes. Canveat: While I stand by my position on sound quality I defer to more authoritive positions for details.
Although I can crank it up and my wife in the next room easily hears and enjoys the sound quality of this system don’t expect any desk-top system to replace something designed for a full room. No matter how clever you get via the electonics in the end ANY small speakers have limitations.
Factory Refurb: By all indicators (performance, cleanliness, et al) my system was in perfect condition. There was no indication — including all the myiad packaging for all components in the box — that this was anything other than a brand-new, Bose factory-direct product.
Bottom Line: I’m simply thrilled with this speaker system!